419 scam: "carlos alberto" <carlos2000024@hotmail.com> BUSINESS PROPOSALNK

joewein.de LLC
fighting spam and scams on the Internet

Try our spam filter!
Free trial for 30 days

Home

About Us

Spam

419/Nigeria

Fraud

Contact

"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear friend" (a common phrase found in 419 scams)
- "a security company " (this will cost you money - be careful with upfront payments to anyone you only know through email, especially if they promise you a lot of money. NEVER send money by Western Union or MoneyGram to people you do not know personally - NO EXCEPTIONS! Instant wire transfer services are not meant to be used with strangers because they offer no protection against fraud. That is precisely why the criminals want you send money that way. )
- ",500,000" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "00,000.00" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money, but the only money that ever changes hands in 419 scams is from you to the criminals)
- "your urgent reply" (scammers rush victims so they don't have time to think properly)
- "utmost confidentiality" (scammers urge victims to keep the transaction secret because they don't want anyone to point out to them that it is a scam)
- "chambers" (Barristers (lawyers) mentioned in 419 scams are always fake.)
This email message is a next of kin scam.

Fraud email example:

From: "carlos alberto" <carlos2000024@hotmail.com>
Reply-To: carlosalberto3@ny.com
Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 10:26:48 +0000
Subject: BUSINESS PROPOSAL

Dear Friend,
Having obtained your contact from the Spanish Chambers of commerce I
then
decided to contact and solicit your mutual assistance to invest in your
country. I am Mr. CARLOS ALBERTO; I am an official of CAJA MADRID Bank
here
in Spain.
Some years Mrs Stella Obasanjo First lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
who died in Marbella hospital in Malaga Spain made a numbered time (Fixed)
Deposit, valued at 8,500,000.00(Eight Million, Five
Hundred Thousand Dollars) in my Bank Branch.
Due to the sudden death of the first lady caused by complications
from a cosmetic surgery, she did not have time to reconcile most
business transactions with her family especially her husband.
In the last trip she made, she had deposited the money in
a security company in Spain as family valuables before she went in
for the surgery that took her life that day. When we heard that she is
dead I quickly went to the security company and demanded the
certificate of deposit before the news of her death was made public
and it was given to me without any questions as the security company
officials recognized that I was the only person with her during the
time of deposit.
However, My Partner and I decided to deposit these funds to one of the
Security Company here in Spain. Consequently, we shall present you as a
foreign partner to stand in as the beneficiary of this money. This fund
was
deposited in my bank as part payment to a foreign company that want to
build
a personal refinery for him here in Spain.
I guarantee that this will be executed under legitimate arrangement
that
will protect you from any breach of the law, as we will use our
position as
the Banker to secure approvals and guarantee the successful execution
of
this transaction. It will take only 7-10 working days to conclude this
transaction.
Please be informed that your utmost confidentiality is required. We
shall
discuss the disbursement and percentage as soon as we hear from you.
If this interests you, please reply me immediately Awaiting your urgent
reply. Thanks.
read about her death by logging in to
http://odili.net/news/source/2005/oct/24/205.html

Best regards,

Carlos Alberto

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam